Milford tax-hike issue on May ballot

Feb. 13, 2014

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MILFORD — Mayor Laurie Howland believes she may have a better idea than most how important it is to keep the Milford Community Fire Department adequately funded.

Her husband, Tim Howland, is a volunteer firefighter with the department.

That’s why Laurie Howland had no problem recently voting with her fellow Milford City Council members to put a three-year, 12.5-mill tax-hike issue for fire and emergency medical services — 10.5 mills of which is a renewal tax and 2 mills that would be an additional tax — on the May 6 primary ballot.

“Hearing how much his pager goes off, I know firsthand the number of calls and incidents they respond to every day,” Howland said.

“I can’t imagine any of those calls having to be hampered due to lack of funds because personnel is short or equipment is inadequate.

“The levy renewal with a slight increase means that the Milford Community Fire Department can respond to all those calls in the manner we have come to rely on,” Howland said.

Milford City Manager Jeff Wright said the tax levy is the only public funding source for the city’s fire and emergency medical services.

Proceeds also are used to pay for the 911 emergency call service with the Hamilton County Communications Center and the annual bond payment for the Milford fire station building at 687 U.S. Highway 50.

Milford Fire Chief John Cooper also has said the department needs to in 2014 replace an ambulance and install a power generator at the fire station.

Figuring taxes can be complicated, said Chief Deputy Clermont County Auditor Chuck Tilbury.

For example, the “inside millage” rate set by the Ohio Constitution never changes, while the effective rate of “outside millage” set by a vote of residents fluctuates with property valuation in order to collect the same amount of taxes with this caveat:

The effective rate can never exceed the voted rate.

“The combination of the effect of valuation fluctuations on inside millage and voted levies could result in a reduction of revenue,” as it did in Milford, Tilbury said.

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Since property values decreased during the last Clermont County auditor’s valuation, a 10.5-mill levy that expired Dec. 31 was collecting less money in Milford than it did in 2011, Wright said.

“The 10.5-mill levy that it would replace generated approximately $1,836,000 in 2010.

“Thus, the proposed levy would simply collect the same amount of money that was generated in 2010,” Wright said.

Wright said city leaders have worked hard to keep costs as low as possible.

“We appreciate our residents’ support for the fire and emergency medical services levy and feel that the professional services provided by the Milford Community Fire Department are a bargain when compared to the costs of operations of other jurisdictions,” Wright said.

Joining Howland in voting to put the proposed tax-hike issue on the May ballot were Milford Vice Mayor Jeff Lykins and council members Ed Brady, Lisa Evans, Charlene Hinners and Geoff Pittman.

Councilwoman Amy Brewer was absent.

Tilbury said that if the tax issue passes the annual cost to Milford homeowners will increase in the following amounts: